The 119th Platoon
The 119th Platoon of the Steam Reserve Corps is a group of eight locomotives that served in World War Two. They are commanded by Will, a GWR 2301 "Dean Goods" class 0-6-0 goods locomotive that served in the First World War under the Railway Operation Division (ROD). It was one of 93 platoons of the Steam Reserve Corps (SRC). Locomotives Will (Commander) Main article: Will Zeebrugge (Gunner) 'Zeebrugge '''is a GCR 11F "Improved Director" (LNER D11/1) 4-4-0 that served in WWII in the 119th Platoon. He is the platoon's gunner and handles most/ all of the platoon's railway artillery (railway guns, including HMG Gladiator). Bio Zeebrugge was built at Gorton Works in 1922 and was one of the last locomotives built for the Great Central Railway (GCR). He spent a quite a quiet life working for the LNER until 1940, when the Steam Reserve Corps (SRC) was formed to help in the fight against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and the Empire of Japan. The Zeebrugge joined the SRC that year and was joined by seven other locomotives, forming the 119th Platoon. Zeebrugge thought that joining a military force is in his name, since he was named after the Zeebrugge Raid from WWI. Instead of being the commander, Zeebrugge let WWI veteran Will be the Platoon's commanding officer, and they were shipped to Asia to fight against Japan. Zeebrugge, being the platoon's gunner, used a series of railway artillery to cover the allied forces and repel the Japanese from pushing inland, but the platoon was needed over in Africa, to fight against Rommel and the Afrika Corps of the German Army. Zeebrugge did multiple attempts to stop the enemy and even helped crews plant mines in the track bed (permeant way), resulting multiple victories. Zeebrugge was damaged by a stray allied shell in the 2nd Battle of El Alamein in 1942, when he was hit in the tender (lucky it wasn't his boiler and the shell was an armour-piercing shell), leaving out of service for around a month, since his tender was destroyed beyond repair. With him back in service with a spare Robinson/ROD tender, Zeebrugge and the rest of the platoon managed to help win back the dockyard town of Tobrok, and pushed Erwin "Desert Fox" Rommel's forces out of Africa in 1943. When the whole platoon, now formed of six locomotives (two were lost in action), left for Italy and push Hitler's forces out of Italy and back into Germany. By then, the 100th Platoon was disbanded from combat duty and recalled for service on the Home Front. Zeebrugge saw that they missed out on shotting some shells at Mussolini's army, but still got to "blast some more fire down on Hitler, the world's madman." The platoon was later moved to Germany in late 1944 and Zeebrugge had his second near-death experience when a Nazi shell missed him when he moved out of the way. Only a week later, he would help the 91st Platoon with capturing a concentration camp from the Germans. The horrors he saw that day made him create a stronger hatred to Hitler and had the plan to destroy the enemy once and for all. His actions lead to the 119th Platoon being decommissioned and he was returned to the LNER. Zeebrugge spent a quiet life and forgot about his wartime service to his country, even to the day he was scrapped at Doncaster in 1960. Will remembers Zeebrugge as "one of the best members of the 119th Platoon, whose hatred after the events of December 1944 caused our platoon to be disbanded from active duty. Basis or real locomotive Zeebrugge is based on a real GCR 11F "Improved Director" class 4-4-0 steam locomotive. 35 locomotives were built by GCR Gorton, Armstrong Whitworth and Kitson & Company from 1919 to 1924, with many being named after important figures, but mainly after WWI battles e.g. Battle of the Somme, the Zeebrugge Raid, Battle of Jutland and Battle of Marne. One is preserved: No. 506 'Butler Henderson' was preserved officially and is going to be displayed at the long-awaited National Railway Museum's Leicester outpost at the former Leicester North railway station. No. 502 was built by Gorton in 1922 and named 'Zeebrugge' following completion. It never had a military service and it was scrapped at Doncaster Works in 1960. Trivia Zeebrugge is named after the Zeebrugge Raid of 1918, a naval battle to and capture the Belgium port of Zeebrugge and end WWI. Zeebrugge's position in the 119th Platoon is 'gunner'. Zeebrugge's model is renumbered and renamed Bachmann OO gauge 11F. Arthur (weapons officer) Arthur is a Stanier 8F 2-8-0 that served in WWII in the 119th Platoon. He is the platoon's weapons officer and makes sure he knows his Axis weaponry. Bio Arthur was built by the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) at Glasgow, Scotland, under the order of the War Department in 1940. That year, the 119th Platoon of the Steam Reserve Corps was formed and Arthur agreed to become the group's weapons officer. Arthur was shipped to Africa to help in the fight against Erwin "Desert Fox" Rommel and the Afrika Corps. Arthur learnt more about German weaponry from captured weapons when towns were reclaimed. Arthur helped in the 1st Battle of El Alemain, when the allies were flanked by Rommel's forces. Martello (Gunner) 'Martello '''is an ex-LB&SCR A1X "Terrier" that served for the 119th Platoon during the Second World War. He is one of the platoon's gunners and the smallest locomotive in the whole platoon, being only 26ft 0.5 inchs in length and 28 long tons in weight. Trivia The 119th Platoon's theme is the 'British Grenadiers' march. The 119th Platoon was inspired by IronLawl's 110th Platoon. The Steam Reserve Corps is also another creation of IronLawl's.Category:Tender locomotives Category:Tank locomotives Category:Scrapped Category:Ex-LMS Category:Ex-LNER Category:Ex-SR Category:Preserved Category:Ex-GWR